1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a large volume water meter and, in particular, to a fire service water meter to be integrated in a fire suppression system of the kind commonly including a sprinkler system by which to combat a residential fire. A dual element strainer assembly which is adapted to handle a large volume of water is coupled to a turbine assembly so as to provide an accurate measurement of water consumption and an uninterrupted flow of water in cases of a fire emergency.
2. Background Art
Water meters have long been employed to measure the volume of water that is consumed by a residential or commercial user by way of a water service pipe line. In areas of rapid residential growth (e.g., Las Vegas), many new houses, apartments and condominiums are being built very close together on narrow streets. Because of the high density of such new residential structures, it is becoming increasingly difficult for fire emergency vehicles to gain immediate access to a fire in a distant structure which is set back from a narrow roadway. To overcome this potential problem, many new residential building are now being constructed with a water sprinkler system as part of a fire suppression system. The prompt response by a sprinkler system to a residential fire will be especially advantageous for both persons and property in those cases where a response by the local fire department could be delayed or hampered by the inability of a fire truck to get close enough to a structure in order to adequately fight a fire raging therewithin.
In this regard, standard positive displacement water meters are being used to monitor the consumption of water by a residence during periods of calm as well as during a fire emergency when the sprinkler system is activated. In the rare event of a residential fire, the volume of water which is consumed in a short time is significantly higher than the volume of water to be consumed by the same residence during periods of calm. However, the conventional positive displacement water meter includes a measuring chamber which, in some cases, may not be able to handle the large rush of water that would typically be required for a sprinkler system to suppress a residential fire.
That is to say, high speed, high volume water flow has been known to cause a lock-up of the measuring chamber of a conventional positive displacement water meter. In some cases, the existing strainer associated with a conventional water meter is small and might become plugged by sand or similar particulate matter that is carried by the water flow. In other cases, flow restrictions are introduced which can result in a pressure head loss at the inlet side of the meter which can have a negative impact in the rate at which water flows from the outlet side. In any event, the water meter may malfunction or be otherwise rendered incapable of providing a continuous high volume, high speed flow of water as would be required by a fire suppression system to fight a residential building fire.
Therefore, what is needed is a water meter that can be used in conjunction with a fire suppression system and which has a measuring chamber that is unlikely to become plugged or cause a failure of the water meter during emergency situations when a large volume of water traveling at high speed must be measured and supplied to a sprinkler system for fighting a residential building fire.